Reflecting Pool's New Liner Shows Signs of Deterioration Post-renovation

WHO:

CNN - President Trump ordered the renovation of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.

CNN - Eddie Wood is the owner of Atlantic Industrial Coatings, the firm hired for the renovation.

CNN - Tim Auerhahn is a pool infrastructure expert and chairman of the Aquatic Council.

ABC News - The Department of the Interior (DOI) is involved in the renovation project.

WHAT:

CNN - The blue material at the bottom of the Reflecting Pool is peeling off.

ABC News - The renovation project was initially estimated to cost $1 million but has exceeded $15 million.

ABC News - The DOI stated that "advanced nanobubbler technology" had "very effectively killed the algae" in the Reflecting Pool.

ABC News - Algae bloomed in the pool shortly after the renovation, turning the water from deep blue to green and murky.

WHERE:

CNN - The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool is located at the National Mall.

WHEN:

CNN - The renovation was ordered in April.

ABC News - The DOI stated that the renovation was necessary to reopen the Reflecting Pool for the Nation's 250th anniversary event series.

WHY:

ABC News - The DOI argued that there was an "unusual and compelling urgency" to complete the renovation due to the upcoming 250th anniversary celebrations.

HOW:

CNN - Workers were seen pouring jugs of hydrogen peroxide into the pool to remediate algae discoloration.

ABC News - The nanobubble process releases tiny gas bubbles filled with ozone into the water to eliminate algae blooms.

(UPDATED June 18, 2026 23:39 UTC)

President Trump has ordered a significant renovation of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, which has faced issues with peeling blue material and algae blooms that turned the water murky. The project, initially estimated at $1 million, has now exceeded $15 million, with the Department of the Interior emphasizing the urgent need to complete the work ahead of the Nation's 250th anniversary celebrations. Atlantic Industrial Coatings, led by owner Eddie Wood, is handling the renovation, employing advanced nanobubbler technology to effectively combat the algae problem.